


Birds in Flight

by Jestana



Category: Mary Poppins (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Wings, Don’t copy to another site, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2019-12-25 11:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18260645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: In a Wing AU of Mary Poppins Returns, Jane doesn't just bump into Jack. He accidentally smacks her in the face with his wings.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> After _finally_ watching Mary Poppins Returns, I naturally had to find fanfic for it. One of those fanfics led me to a Discord. Someone brought up the image up above and my brain ran with the idea. The following fic is the result of this. It largely follows the events of the movie, with some changes to account for the fact that everyone has wings.

Jane had known Admiral Boom all her life, so when he called good morning, she naturally responded in kind, picturing clearly the battered albatross wings that drooped over the back of his wheelchair these days. She was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't notice the lamplighter sliding down his ladder. That is, until--thwack!--she received a faceful of feathers. She stumbled back a few steps, her white dove's wings flaring to help her maintain her balance. Unfortunately, she lost her grip on her flyers and they tumbled out of her arms to the ground at their feet. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry, Miss!"

"It's all right." She rushed to assure him, crouching to gather up her flyers before the breeze sent them flying into the street or out of reach.

The lamplighter crouched to do the same. Unfortunately, both their wings trailed on the ground and swept flyers out of reach. When Jane scrambled to grab them, he did, too, and they collided once again. "Oh, I'm sorry again!"

"Don't worry, please." Jane assured him, pushing his wings out of her way so she could grab the last few flyers just before they flew into the street.

He handed her the flyers he'd gathered, smiling bashfully. "You're Miss Banks, aren't you?" Spreading his tawny owl wings to balance himself as he straightened up, he offered his hand to Jane. "I don't know if you remember me, but I used to wave to you when I'd see you and your brother up there in that window."

"Yes, I _do_ remember," Jane took his hand and straightened up, shaking her wings out. He was even more handsome now than he'd been as a boy, trailing after Bert. His wings had grown faster than his legs, so the ends had dragged on the ground if he wasn't careful. Rather than mention that, she told him, "Please, call me Jane."

As she blushed and ducked her head to adjust the flyers in her arms, Mary Poppins called from the very nursery window he'd indicated, "Good morning, Jane. I see you've bumped into Jack."

"You've grown up a good deal, but your smile hasn't changed," she told him with a shy laugh.

His smile lit his eyes the way he lit the lamps every evening. "Yours hasn't changed, either."

"Excuse me." An older, elegantly-dressed lady politely interrupted them, her wings folded neatly behind her back. "I'm looking for number 19 Cherry Tree Lane. Do you know where it is?"

Jane and Jack answered the question in unison, pointing further down the street. "Oh, it's just two doors down."

"Thank you," she told them with a warm smile, moving around them to continue down the street to the house they'd indicated. "Most sincerely."

They watched her go and Jack remarked. "Is it just me, or do her wings look like yours?"

"They might." Jane shook her wings again, trying to straighten the feathers. She'd have to come visit her brother's family later and ask the children help her preen them. "It's not as if I'm the only one allowed to have them."

He nodded and pointed to the button on her coat lapel. "Oh, yeah, SPRUCE. Me an' the other leeries are real glad for the work you do for us and other workin' blokes. Not many people try to speak for us."

"Oh, well." She felt her cheeks grow warm. "I never faced the same hardships as you and your fellow leeries, was it?" He nodded again, smiling. "But I hope I can make them easier for you."

Before Jack could say anything, Michael exited his house, shoving his hat onto his head. "Oh, Jane, so sorry, I can't talk, I'm late for work."

"I understand." Jane smiled as he took a moment to kiss her cheek, brushing one of her wings with his mottled black and grey one. "Have a good day."

He gave a distracted nod, tugging his goggles down over his eyes, and took off, nearly sending Jane's flyers flying again. Luckily, she had the presence of mind to hold tight to them. As he disappeared from view, Ellen called from the front stoop, saying that Michael had forgotten his briefcase. Mary promised that she and the children would take it to him, since they had an errand to run anyway. Jane remembered clearly that Mary rarely flew while she looked after her and Michael, but neither of them had been ready to fly at the time. She reminded them, "Oh, but none of the children can fly yet."

"I can give you a ride," Jack assured them, taking his ladder and laying it lengthwise across the back of his bicycle. John protested, worried about their weight on the tires of Jack's bicycle. He even went so far as to ask Mary how much she weighed. "It's all a matter of balance. John and Annabel, here. Mary, here. And Georgie in front."

Georgie laughed as Jack lifted him into the basket. "Whee!"

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Jane asked, steadying the bicycle as Jack swung his leg over the seat and tucked his wings tight against his back. John wrapped one of his wings around Annabel as they perched on one side of Jack's ladder. Jane's heart ached when she realized the twins had very few downy feathers left, most of them replaced by adult's feathers now: pale grey with a mix of brown and black markings. Mary sat primly on her side of the ladder, hummingbird wings folded tightly against her back and Michael's briefcase secure in her lap.

Jack handed a cloth-wrapped bundle to Georgie, who cradled it in his lap, his eyes sparkling as he brought his down-covered wings forward to wrap around himself and his cargo. For a moment, Jack glanced over his wing at Jane and she wondered if she imagined his wink. "We'll be fine, don't worry. Ready, steady, go!"

With that, they set off just as Admiral Boom's gun rang out. The sound reminded Jane and Ellen of what it regularly did to the house. They dashed inside to put everything to rights. "That handsome lamplighter sure lit you up, Miss Jane."

"Oh, Ellen." Jane blushed, hitting the desk in just the right spot to send all the drawers sliding back in. "We were just talking."

She scoffed, helping Jane push the piano back into place. "Right, you're glowing brighter than them lamps he lights every evening."

"I don't have time to talk about this, Ellen." Jane finished putting everything back. "I have a rally to get to."

Ellen shook her head, handing Jane the bundle of flyers. "Will you be coming by afterwards?"

"I certainly hope to." Jane hurried down the steps and spotted her rally signs on the sidewalk. "I'll see you later, Ellen!"

Picking up the signs and bracing them against her shoulder, Jane set off for the rally, walking briskly. She was dreadfully late, but she couldn't possibly fly there with the flyers _and_ the signs. _Oh, well, I'll just be late, then._

*

Jack always enjoyed helping Mary with her charges, whoever they may be. That they were the current Banks children made it that much better. Especially when Georgie called, "Aunt Jane!"

"Aunt Jane, Aunt Jane!" John and Annabel picked up the chant and Jack pulled up next to where Jane walked along, presumably to her rally.

She waved and moved to the curb, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink when her eyes met his. "Have you gone to the bank already?"

"Not yet, we're just about to," Mary told her and Jack could _hear_ the suppressed smile in her voice. "Come, children, we can walk the rest of the way. One, two, three."

On 'three', Mary, John, and Annabel hopped off Jack's ladder and Jack helped Georgie down. After setting Georgie on his feet, Jack told Jane, "I can give you a lift to the rally."

"Oh, I don't want to impose," Jane protested, even as John took her signs and laid them across Jack's ladder.

Georgie patted the basket. "You'll have to ride in front, Aunt Jane."

"Er, no." Jack moved backwards, making room for Jane between himself and the handlebars. "Aunt Jane can ride here."

Her cheeks started to look more red than pink. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. You'll be perfectly safe." Jack encouraged her to sit sideways in front of him.

She wrapped those beautiful dove's wings of hers around herself so he could reach the handlebars better. "Can you reach?"

"Yeah, perfect." He glanced over his tightly-furled wing to see Mary holding the bike steady for him. She nodded to him and he nodded back. "Ready, steady, here we go!"

Jane shrieked as he set off, clutching at his arm with her free hand. The next moment, she laughed, exhilarated, and he continued towards the park. He'd had his suspicions about Jane bumping into him that morning and this only confirmed it: Mary Poppins was playing matchmaker for them. He wasn't about to complain, though. He'd liked Jane from the first time he saw her in the window, all those years ago. Her wings had been more down than feathers at the time. Now, though, full grown, the pure white wings always made him think of angel's wings. Knowing Mary approved of them made Jack's heart glow brighter than a lamp on a dark winter's night. Now, he just had to figure out how _Jane_ felt about the idea.

Much too soon, they reached the park. "Here we are, safe and sound."

"Oh, thank you, Jack." Jane carefully stood up and took a few steps away so she could stretch out her wings to their full span.

Jack stared for several moments, watching them shimmer in the cloudy light. Then he shook himself and quickly moved to unstrap the rally signs from the back of his bike, offering them to Jane, who'd turned back to him. "Your signs, milady."

"Thank you, kind knight." Jane giggled as she accepted the signs. She gasped when her flyers went tumbling again. "Oh, dear!"

He hurried to grab the flyers, which looked a little worse for wear now. "Would you like some help carryin' everything?"

"Oh, yes, please." Jane smiled, and then frowned. "I hope I'm not keeping you from anything."

He shook his head, keeping the flyers bundled in his arms. "Not at all. I told you I planned on comin' anyway."

"If you're sure." Her smile shy, Jane tucked her hand through Jack's arm and they headed into the park together.

*

Alone in her flat that night, after assuring herself that Michael and the children were fine, Jane sat on the edge of her bed and studied the feather that had found its way into her pocket. A light reddish-brown color, it could only have belonged to one person: Jack. _It must have gotten mixed in with my flyers when he helped me gather them up._ Deciding there was no harm in keeping it, she carefully tucked it into her keepsake box along with the feathers from her parents and Michael. She also had a chalk drawing of a hummingbird she'd asked Bert to do after Mary Poppins left. He'd looked sad and pained when she made her request, but nodded all the same. She stared at Jack's feather for a long moment before placing it in the box and closing it. Setting it aside, she got up to make herself tea.

*

Jack stretched out on his bed in his flat with a sigh. He really should get some sleep before he had to make his early morning rounds, but he couldn't stop thinking about how it'd felt to hold Jane as he gave her a ride on his bike. He reached into his coat and withdrew the feather inside it. Pure white and soft, there was only one person it could have belonged to: Jane Banks. It wasn't strange to lose a feather or two, but Jack suspected Mary Poppins had had a hand in this. He brushed it against his cheek, feeling it catch on his stubble. Smiling, he got up and retrieved his box of treasures from under the floorboards and carefully placed Jane's feather alongside Bert's sparrow feather. He smiled as he thought of his mentor and hoped he was enjoying his trip around the world. Putting the box away, he laid back down to rest.

*

"Jane, are you all right?" Michael asked, startling her from her contemplation of the night sky.

She started back and quickly closed the window, drawing her wings in tight against her back. "Yes, I'm fine, Michael. I just, er, was thinking that when we, er, flew into the bank together--"

"More like dive-bombed," he interjected with a laugh, his wingtips flicking a little as he did.

Jane laughed with him, remembering the way they'd barreled into Wilkins's office after their kite. "Well, it was the first time I'd flown in, well, simply ages, really. With everything that I carry for my work, it's not practical for me to fly. At least for the bank you just carry your briefcase."

"When I remember it." Michael shook his head at himself. He looked out the window, and then back at Jane. "You're not thinking of going flying right _now_ , are you?"

In an effort to hide the blush she _knew_ was starting in her cheeks, Jane ducked her head, half-tempted to hide behind her wings. "I, er, don't want others to see how horribly rusty I am at it."

"It's the middle of the night," he reminded her, glancing over his shoulder towards the guest bedroom where the children finally slept. His wings were still now, half-opened. "Shouldn't you wait?"

Jane shook her head, her wings flaring slightly open. "No. No one else is around, which is just what I want."

"I can't talk you out of it, can I?" Michael sighed, his wings and shoulders slumping. "Fine, just be careful, all right?"

She nodded, smiling brightly as she stepped close to kiss his cheek. "I'll be fine. The leeries make sure the lamps are lit."

"Leeries?" Michael asked, even as he kissed her cheek in return, his eyebrows raised. "The children called them that, too."

Jane nodded again, her cheeks very warm now. "Yes, that's what they call themselves."

"I gathered that." A small smile peeked through. It didn't quite reach Michael's eyes, but Jane knew he still missed Kate dreadfully. A smile at all was triumph enough. She gasped when he pulled her into a tight hug, his wings wrapping around her for a few moments. "Please be careful and come back the moment you feel tired."

Smiling, Jane returned the gesture, promising in a quiet voice. When she let him go, she climbed up to the roof of the building. She stood there for just a few minutes, her wings spread to their fullest span, getting a feel for the night air. When she was ready, she pulled her goggles down over her eyes. After a few false starts, she finally managed to take off into the night sky.

*

Jack tried to sleep. Honestly, he did. He had only an hour or two before he had to start turning down the lamps. Unfortunately, he was too restless to sleep. Too much had happened for him to settle. Giving up, he got up and quietly left the flat he shared with Angus and Charles and climbed up to the roof. At this hour of the morning, London was quiet and still, most of her inhabitants sensibly asleep. Like he should be. Putting his hat on and tugging his goggles down over his eyes, Jack took off, soaring into the sky like he'd wished he could have earlier when they 'turned back time'.

He stifled a laugh as he soared over the Thames. He didn't get to fly as often as he liked, but he tried to keep in practice. Deciding he'd seen enough of the river, Jack banked into a turn and headed towards a nicer part of London. It wasn't on his route, so this was the only way he could see it without someone looking down their nose at him or thinking he was up to no good. He pushed those thoughts away so he could enjoy his flight.

As he flew closer, he realized he wasn't the only one who'd decided to go for an early morning flight. He'd know those beautiful white wings anywhere. As he coasted closer, he watched Jane swoop and glide and dive through the air. Most women of her class were discouraged from such displays, but clearly not Jane. Smiling, he flew closer and called, "Hello, Miss Jane!"

"Oh! Jack!" Jane spun on a wingtip to see him, nearly falling before she spread her wings to catch air again. "I didn't think anyone else would be flying now."

He smiled, spreading his own wings to catch the air as well. "I couldn't sleep and it's been awhile since I flew."

"Same here." Jane smiled shyly, spiraling up.

Jack followed suit, unable to hover for long the way Mary would. "Do you mind some company?"

"You won't think I'm strange?' Jane looked worried as she glided along.

He shook his head, grinning. "Not at all. I like you the way you are."

"Thank you, Jack." Jane seemed to light up and they spent the next hour or so flying together, swooping, diving, spiraling, and dancing through the air.

He didn't want it to end, but the sky was getting lighter and Jack had a job to do. He reluctantly said farewell to Jane and set off to start his morning route. _That was wonderful!_

*

Jane happily spent the day helping Michael, Ellen, and the children move back into their home. As the day dragged on, though, and the sun sank lower in the sky, Jane couldn't settle on any one thing. She'd sit down to play with the kids or talk to Michael and she'd get up a few moments later, wandering to the window to peer out at the street. "Aunt Jane, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine, Georgie." Jane let the curtain drop and rejoined her nephew on the floor of the playroom. "Is everything back in place?"

He shrugged, climbing into her lap with his downy wings wrapped around himself. "I dunno. Why do you keep checking the window?"

"She's looking for Mary Poppins, of course," John declared, stretching out on his bed and peering down at them.

Jane shook her head as she wrapped her arms and wings around Georgie. She and Michael had seen Mary 'floating' away, her hummingbird wings an invisible blur. "No, I suppose I'm just worried that someone will come back and try to kick you and your father out again."

"You heard Mr. Dawes," Annabel reminded Jane, sitting down beside her and leaning against her side. "We get to keep the house."

Smiling, Jane wrapped an arm and wing around Annabel. "Yes, I know, but so much has gone wrong that it's hard to believe that something's gone right."

"This happened before, Jane," Michael interjected from the doorway. The children scrambled to their feet and hurried over to hug their father. He returned their hugs with a warm smile, his wings sweeping forward to wrap around them.

Seeing Michael smile like that pleased Jane to no end. He still missed Kate, but he was happy again and that meant everything to Jane. As they whispered to each other in the circle of Michael's wings, Jane stood up and drifted, almost without thinking, to the nursery window. Looking down, she spotted a familiar figure perched on his ladder as he polished the street lamp in front of the house. She waved to him and he waved back. She glanced back in the room to see Michael helping the children into bed, and quickly stepped over the railing, spreading her wings so she could glide down to join Jack. "Hello, Jack."

"Hello, Miss Jane." Jack finished ensuring the streetlamp would shine brightly and slid down the ladder. On his feet facing her once more, he smiled brightly. "Me an' the lads are glad we could help you and Mr. Banks keep the house."

Jane nodded, smiling shyly as she remembered the way Jack and the others hadn't hesitated to help 'turn back time'. "Yes, thank you, Jack. And please thank your fellow leeries for us, too."

"Jane!" Michael's voice distracted them and she looked up to see her brother standing at the nursery window, wings half-flared in panic. "Please don't disappear like that again."

She waved back at him, feeling a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry, Michael. I'll remember in the future."

"Are you staying the night?" he asked, his wings relaxing into their usual half-furled position.

Jane bit her lip, thinking of her tiny, lonely flat. Then she called back, "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd be glad to."

"You know you're always welcome here," Michael assured her, sounding more like his old self.

She nodded. "Then I'll stay the night."

"Good." With that, Michael stepped back inside, closing the window behind him.

Jane didn't worry about that. The door was still open and she had her own copy of the key anyway. Beside her, Jack remarked, "Mr. Banks looks more like his old self."

"Yes, he is, and John and Annabel aren't growing up so fast anymore." Jane turned to Jack with a smile. "Thanks to Mary Poppins."

Jack's grin lit his face. "She's quite the miracle worker, isn't she?"

"Yes, she did it when Michael and I were the twins' age and she did it again this week." Jane smiled fondly, thinking of all those fanciful things she'd convinced herself had been all her and Michael's imagination.

Still grinning, Jack nodded enthusiastically. "She helped me when I lost me parents when I was that age. She an' Bert showed me that life didn't end just because me parents were gone."

"That's when you started joining Bert, wasn't it?" Jane asked gently, tempted to brush Jack's wing with one of hers. That was too intimate, though, so she just offered him a sympathetic smile.

Jack nodded again, his grin fading. "It was. Seein' you every day, wavin' at me, it helped, too."

"Really?" Jane felt her cheeks heat with a blush and was glad for the deepening twilight. "I'd no idea. You just looked so sad the first few times I saw you. I hoped waving would cheer you up."

His grin turned into a soft smile, his eyes warm and tender as he gazed down at her. "Rest assured, it did. Thank you for that."

"You're very welcome," Jane whispered, caught by the look in his eyes, remembering how it'd felt to float through the air in Jack's arms. She'd thought for sure he'd kiss her, but he hadn't. Instead, he'd let her go so she could join her family as they floated back down to the ground. This time, when he started to move away, she caught his arm and pulled him back to her, stretching up to kiss him.

He didn't react at first and for one horrible moment Jane thought she'd misjudged the entire situation. Then Jack's arms and wings wrapped around her and his mouth moved against hers, responding to the kiss. It was, by far, the loveliest, sweetest, politest kiss she'd ever shared. Jack seemed happy enough to kiss her, but he didn't try to hold her too close or push his tongue into her mouth like other men had done. When they parted to catch their breath, Jack gazed down at her as if she was the most precious person in the world. "That was-- wow." His expression turned serious and he cupped her cheek with one hand, drawing his wings back. "Are you sure, Jane?"

"As sure as I can be, Jack." She smiled, reaching up to caress his cheek, his stubble prickling her fingers. "You're more of a gentleman than most men I've met who claim that title by birth. You're so kind and patient and generous. Whoever you choose to spend your life with would be lucky to have you."

She wondered if she imagined his cheek growing warm under her touch. "There are people who'd think less of you for takin' up with the likes of me."

"Their opinions don't matter to me, Jack." She swept her wings forward to brush against his. "If they did, I'd hardly campaign on behalf of people like you and your fellow leeries."

He nodded, brushing his wings against hers in return. "I would be honored beyond measure if you'd let me court you, Miss Jane."

"I would love that above anything, Jack," Jane told him, stretching up to kiss him once again.

*

Jack could hardly believe it. He'd wondered and hoped and prayed, but never actually _believed_ that Jane Banks would let _him_ of all people court her. As he went about his rounds the morning after their first kiss, he couldn't keep a smile off his face and waved at people with much more cheer. He finished at Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane, polishing the glass with unnecessary vigor. He whistled as he finished and slid down the ladder. "Good morning, Jack."

"Oh, good mornin', Mr. Banks," Jack greeted him with a tip of his cap. "Everything settled in all right at home?"

Michael descended the steps, his hands tucked into trouser pockets. "Not completely, but that'll take time."

"Of course." Jack nodded, folding his ladder and securing it to his bike. "You ever need help again, just ask a leerie."

He'd just swung his leg over the bike when Michael reached out and grabbed the handlebar. Jack looked at him curiously. "I saw you and Jane last night."

"What'd you see?" Jack asked, a little worried. Normally, he could read Michael easily. This morning, though, his expression was unusually calm and closed.

Michael looked up at him with a faint quirk at the corner of his mouth. "I saw her kiss you. And you kissed her back." He nodded, feeling his tightly-furled wings shiver with nerves. "She hasn't had much luck in terms of romance. Please, be kind to her and treat her well."

"She's a lady, Mr. Banks. Of _course_ I'll treat her well." Jack told him quietly, adjusting his fingerless gloves unnecessarily.

Giving a soft huff of laughter, Michael released the handlebar and ran his fingers through his hair. "You'd be treating her better than some so-called gentlemen I can name."

"Jane said something like that last night." Jack leaned forward to grip the handlebars.

Michael nodded, but they were distracted by the sound of the front door opening and closing. "Good morning, Jack! "

"Good mornin', Jane." Jack smiled brightly as Jane hurried over to greet him with a kiss on his cheek, resting her hand on his arm.

Next to them, Michael laughed again. "You can do better than that, Jane. Kiss him properly."

Amused, Jack cupped Jane's cheek and leaned in to kiss her properly. "Can I give you a lift somewhere, Jane?"

"If you don't have anywhere else to be, I could use a lift to the soup kitchen." Jane rubbed his arm lightly.

"Your wish is my command." Jack shifted back so Jane could perch in front of him on the bike.

She wrapped her wings around herself and perched sideways in front of him. He gave her a reassuring squeeze and they set off for the soup kitchen, laughing with delight as they wove in and out of traffic. _All thanks to Mary Poppins._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything's going along swimmingly until a man from Jane's past runs into them. Literally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came from some discussions with the others on the Mary Poppins Returns discord.

It had become a habit for Jack to give Jane a ride to wherever she was headed that day for SPRUCE. He'd even modified his bike so they could both ride it more easily. They'd become a common sight in the mornings, riding through the streets of London together, talking and laughing. Even on days that Jane didn't have to go anywhere, she and Jack would go for a ride just for the fun of it. Today was one of those days. They were cruising through the park near Jane's flat and just passing the bottom of a hill when a voice shouted, "Look out!"

"Hold on!" Jack yelled, spotting a strange man careening down the hill on a bike of his own, clearly unable to control it. Unfortunately, Jack and Jane were in the way and they were so tangled with their bike and each other that they couldn't escape quick enough.

Instead, Jack turned the bike so when the other bike collided with theirs, he and the bike took the brunt of the impact. He grunted with pain, feeling several bones in one wing break just before they fell over in a heap. Jane squirmed underneath him. "Jack!"

"'Mfine," he told her, his voice strained, peering over his wings just as the stranger landed lightly beside them, his gorgeous golden eagle's wings flaring to help ease the landing.

As the strange man furled his wings, Jack noticed that he wore bespoke clothes made of high-quality fabric. The man didn't even _look_ at Jack, just walked over and picked up his bike, brushing it off with his handkerchief. He muttered in the plummiest accent Jack had ever heard in his life, "No harm done. Well, nothing that can't be fixed."

"I know that voice," Jane murmured, finally managing to squirm out from under Jack, spreading her wings with a snap to dislodge the gravel and leaves that had worked its way amongst her feathers. She looked at the stranger and pressed her lips together, as if she was displeased for once. "Reggie. It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

The stranger froze at the sound of Jane's voice and slowly turned to face her. "Miss Jane Banks. It's been what, five years?"

"Two, Reggie," she retorted, her voice short as she turned to help Jack disentangle himself from his bike. "You clearly haven't changed a bit."

He eyed Jack with an all-too-familiar distasteful expression. "It seems you have, if this is the sort of riff raff keeping you company." Giving a dismissive flick of his wings, he pointedly looked back at Jane. "You did have _taste_ at one point. I suppose your little crusade has changed it."

"If my taste has changed at all, _Reggie_ , it's changed for the better." Jack could hardly believe his ears. Even if he couldn't hear the anger in her voice, every line of her body was tense with it, one of her lovely dove's wings arched around him protectively.

'Reggie' scoffed as they finally straightened up. "A jack-of-all-trades like him? Not hardly."

"When have you ever thought of anyone besides yourself?" Jane practically spat out the words, her voice pure venom now. "The whole time we courted, did you ever ask what I wanted to do? Or if I was even free to go somewhere? You just assumed I would go along with your plans without complaint."

The stranger stalked towards Jane, his wings starting to flare. Jack tried to flare his own wings in response and cried out with pain as it aggravated the broken bones. "Jane, I need a doctor."

"Right, of course." Her entire manner changed as she turned to Jack, worried and gentle as she steadied him. "Can you ride?"

He shrugged his shoulders carefully, trying not to move his wings. "I don't know."

"We're not finished." Reggie grabbed Jane's wing, an intimate gesture not even Jack had dared.

Jane spun to face him, yanking her wing from his grip and incidentally hitting him right in the face with it. "You broke up with me, Reginald Herbert Atwood! I want _nothing_ to do with you."

"Are these gentlemen bothering you, Miss Banks?" A constable asked, having apparently arrived while they were talking.

She glared at Reginald. "Reggie here was just leaving, weren't you?"

"Oh, Mr. Jack, what happened to you?" The constable had finally recognized Jack. "I'll call for an ambulance right away."

Jack clung to Jane's arm, his head swimming. "Yes, please."

"I'm right here, Jack," Jane murmured, wrapping her arms and wings around him.

He tried to say something to reassure her, to wipe away the worry on her face, but everything went black before he could.

*

After Jack fainted in Jane's arms, she forgot everything except getting him to the hospital. It seemed that Reginald's bicycle had hit Jack quite hard, breaking several bones in his right wing. They needed setting and Jack wouldn't be able to move or use his wings for several weeks as the bones healed. While the doctors set his bones, Jane asked to use the phone and called Michael. "Hello, Banks residence."

"Ellen, it's Jane." It was good to hear a familiar, friendly voice. "Is Michael home?"

As she'd expected, the housekeeper/cook didn't answer her question right away. "Miss Jane! Where are you and Jack? We expected you hours ago."

"If you'll let me talk to Michael, I'll tell him and he can tell the rest of you," Jane answered patiently, trying to stay calm, though her wings shivered a little with a combination of nerves and agitation at the delay. "Please put him on."

After some rustling and muffled talking, Michael's voice came over the phone, "Jane! Are you all right? Where have you been?"

"I'm fine, Michael, but Jack isn't," Jane replied, relaxing a little. "He's been hurt, but he'll recover with time and patience. Could you ask the children to contact his leerie friends? I'm sure one of them will want to come."

She could just picture Michael running a hand through his hair even as he nodded. "Of course. I'm assuming you're at a hospital."

"Right, yes." Jane told him which one. "Before you ask again, I assure you I'm fine. Jack made sure of that."

Michael sighed deeply. "All right. Tell us as soon as you can what happened."

"I will." They said their good-byes and hung up.

Jane stood still and took several deep breaths to keep herself calm. She startled when Reginald remarked from nearby, "You're going to all this trouble for a lamplighter, Jane?"

"That's Miss Banks to you," she told him firmly, clasping her hands behind her back to help resist the urge to slap him. "He's not just a lamplighter. He's my friend."

Reginald scoffed, folding his arms across his chest while angling his wings so they'd catch the light just so. "Friend, right. You wouldn't fuss like this for a _friend_."

"As a matter of fact, I would, but that's because I have a sense of common decency, unlike _some_ people." Jane narrowed her eyes at him. "Why are you even here? You weren't hurt at all."

He gave a long-suffering sigh. "Apparently, the police want my version of events. They seem to think I crashed into you and that lamplighter on purpose."

"I see." Jane had known Reginald long enough to know that wasn't the sort of thing he'd do. She doubted he'd even _seen_ them until she'd spoken to him. Even then, he'd really only looked at her until she'd drawn his attention to Jack by focusing on him rather than Reginald.

At that moment, a familiar figure entered the room and headed straight for Jane. "Miss Jane! What happened to Jack? Mr. Banks just said he was hurt."

"He's fine, Angus," Jane told him soothingly, taking his hands and squeezing them firmly. "We were in a bicycle crash and he kept me from getting hurt." She resolved to find a way to make it up to Jack. "The doctors said he suffered some bumps and bruises, but the worst is some broken bones in his right wing. He won't be able to fly for at least a month."

He nodded, his tensed owl's wings relaxing once she finished explaining. "He's gonna hate that. Jack always loved flyin'."

"I know." Jane giggled, remembering their first flight together. "The doctor said he should rest for the next day or so. Is there someone who can do his route tonight and tomorrow morning?"

Angus thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, we can make it work. Charles is waitin' outside. I'll tell him and he can pass it on to the others."

"Thank you, Angus." Smiling, Jane hugged him. She knew it wasn't really proper, since he wasn't family or Jack, but he needed a hug and she could give him one.

After a moment of surprise, he hugged her back. "Thank you, Miss Jane."

"Not at all, Angus. I'll let you know if he has to stay here at all." She squeezed his hands one last time before he left to spread the news.

She stiffened when Reginald drawled from nearby. "Two of them, Jane? Should I ask if you were stringing along anyone else while we were courting?"

"Angus is Jack's flatmate," Jane answered stiffly, resigned to his presence until the police took his report. "I've told you to call me 'Miss Banks'. You no longer have permission to use my first name."

He remained unphased by her remark. "You called me Reggie earlier. I'm returning the favor."

"Very well, _Mr. Atwood_." She spoke with icy civility. "Unless you have something of interest to say to me, please leave me alone."

She spoke loudly and clearly enough that several of the hospital workers nearby looked up and noticed the two of them. Thankfully, a constable arrived then. "Mr. Atrwood? We need to take your statement now."

"Of course, Officer." Reginald nodded and followed the man 

Jane was left to twiddle her thumbs while waiting for news about Jack. Angus returned not long after. "The leeries are spreadin' the word. I asked Charles to tell your family."

"Thank you, Angus." Jane smiled weakly at him.

"Anythin' for you and Jack, Miss Jane."

*

Jack cycled along in darkness, whistling to keep his spirits up. In the distance, he saw Jane striding along, her rally signs braced over her shoulder. He tried to call out to her, but no sound seemed to come out. So he tried to pedal faster to catch up to her. That didn't seem to do any good, though. Before he could think of something else, another figure dove down out of the sky towards Jane, golden eagle wings gleaming. He tried to call out again, but he still had no voice. Pedaling faster didn't do any good either. Jack could only watch as the man Jane had called Reggie swooped down and scooped her up, flying off with her. "Jane!"

"I'm here, Jack." Jane's voice seemed to come to him from a great distance. "Calm down. You'll only hurt yourself worse."

He tried to spread his wings to take off after Jane and 'Reggie' and cried out with pain. "Jane!"

"Jack, wake up." Jane's voice was louder this time and he could feel her hands around one of his. "Open your eyes."

At that, he did just that, finding her gazing down at him with worried green eyes. He stared up at her, calming down now that he knew it was just a dream. "Jane. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, silly Jack." A weak giggle escaped and she brought one hand up to cup his cheek. "Thanks to you."

He covered her hand with his and turned his head to brush his lips across her palm. "Was anyone else hurt?"

"Just you." She smoothed her thumb along his cheekbone. "The police want your version of events, though it's doubtful anything will come of it."

Jack nodded, sighing. It'd been clear enough that 'Reggie' was from a wealthy family and used to getting away with treating others like garbage. "I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't be." Jane looked angry. "He _hurt_ you, Jack."

Sighing again, Jack squeezed Jane's hand firmly. "Jane, love, you said it yourself. He doesn't care about anyone else. He didn't even care about _you_ when he was lucky enough to have you in his life at all."

"He only wanted me because of my wings," she confided, bringing one around and placing Jack's hand on it.

Swallowing hard, he stroked the soft feathers a few times. "Because they're so beautiful?"

"Yes, and unusual. He thought they'd go well with _his_ wings." Jane kept her wing in easy reach and Jack couldn't resist the soft feathers. "He kept talking about the future he wanted for him and his wife, who would _never_ have to work or volunteer. She could spend her days at garden parties with other rich trophy wives."

Jack stared up at her, surprised by the bitterness on her face. "He meant for you to give up everything for him?"

"Everything," she confirmed with a nod. "Even Michael and the children, because they were all pigeons and 'common'."

Moving carefully, Jack reached up to cup Jane's cheek with one hand. "What a crock of pits. I'm glad you didn't stay with him."

"Well, he ended things." Jane didn't quite meet Jack's eyes. "He could be charming and flattering when he chose. And he knows how to manipulate people. Not unlike Mr. Wilkins."

Jack shifted so he could stretch up and kiss her cheek. "You're not with him _now_ and, from what I heard, you're not going to fall for his pretty words and empty promises now."

"No, not when I have you." Jane smiled and kissed him softly. "I didn't think I'd ever find someone who would let me be _me_ until I met you, Jack."

He smiled up at her, bright and fond. "I like you _just_ the way you are, Jane Banks."

"That's an admirable sentiment, Mr. Porter." The strange voice from the doorway prompt Jack to pull away from Jane in a sharp movement that jarred his wings. He gritted his teeth against the pain, refusing to make a noise and worry Jane even more. "I do apologise."

Jack nodded as Jane reluctantly moved back from the bed so the doctor could check Jack over. "I can tell my wings are hurt, doctor. How bad is it?"

"The bones were fractured in several places in your right wing." The doctor explained as he and Jane helped Jack sit up properly. "The wing itself has been immobilized, but please try not use the muscles while the bones are healing."

Jack nodded, feeling the restraint on his right wing now and resisting the impulse to test it by stretching his wing. "How long will it need to remain immobilized?

"A month at least if you follow my instructions," the doctor replied. "Even after the bandages come off, you won't be able to fly right away."

He grimaced at that bit of news. He loved flying. "I suppose _when_ I'll be able to fly again depends on how well I follow your instructions."

"Exactly. Miss Banks says she'll take you home, so I'll leave you to her tender care." The doctor nodded to them and left.

Jane took Jack's hand and helped him stand up. It felt strange and off-balance with the weight on just one wing. "All right, Jack?"

"Mostly," he admitted, smiling when she slipped an arm around his waist and helped him leave the room. "First time I've injured a wing."

She laughed sheepishly, pulling his arm over her shoulders. "I broke my wing once when I was little. Most of my adult feathers had grown in, so I thought I could fly. I hadn't considered that Mother and Father needed to teach me first."

"Bert taught me and most of the leeries," Jack told her as they slowly made their way through the corridors. "Even when we had more down than feathers, he taught us things that helped when we could finally fly."

Jane nodded thoughtfully. "That sounds most sensible and reasonable."

"I certainly thought so." The familiar voice caused both of them to stop short and _stare_ at the familiar gangly form waiting at the end of the corridor.

*

"Uncle Bert!" Jane grinned, delighted to see the old chimney sweep. His hair was pure white now instead of black and his face seamed with wrinkles that spoke of a lifetime of laughter, but he was the same old Bert with sparrow's wings that almost seemed too small for him. "I thought you were traveling?"

As she and Jack slowly approached him, the beaming smile on Bert's face faded. "I got homesick. Nothing like travelin' to help you realize how much you love your home."

"You missed Mary Poppins, Bert," Jack told him quietly when Bert took up Jack's other side. "She came for the Banks children."

Bert frowned, looking from Jack to Jane and back again. "Not Michael and Kate's three, surely?"

"Them, too," Jane told him, giggling a little as she remembered that fateful day.

Now Bert raised his eyebrows. "She came for you and Michael?"

"Jack! It's good to see you on your feet." Angus's voice ended their conversation for the moment as he darted over to join them. "Bert! When did you get here?"

Bert tapped the side of his nose, winked, and said nothing in reply. Next to Jane, Jack muttered, "Same old Bert." Louder, he told Angus. "I'm fine. Just a few broken bones. Nothing to worry about. I can still light up the London sky."

"Not tonight you're not," Angus told him sternly, drawing himself up to his full height. "Miss Jane said the doctor wants you to rest for now."

Bert nodded, glancing between Jack and Jane once more. "You've been through a lot today, Jack. Rest is the best thing for you."

"Well, I _am_ tired," Jack admitted with a sheepish laugh and a shake of his good wing. He winced when it pulled at the muscles in his other wing. "Ow. Bad idea."

Jane squeezed his hand. "Best to keep both wings as still as possible, Jack."

"Let's get you home." Bert suggested, urging them forward.

As she and Bert helped Jack, Jane told them, "Actually, Michael insisted that we take Jack to Number 17. The kids are very worried."

"I don't mean to cause such a fuss," Jack mumbled, stumbling along between Jane and Bert.

Jane glanced at him and noticed that his eyes were half-closed. She tightened her grip around his waist and told him, "You're family, Jack. Surely you knew that?"

"He is?" Bert stared at Jane in surprise over Jack's head.

Jane nodded as they emerged from the hospital. Michael called to them from the car he rarely used. "Jane! Jack! Uncle Bert!"

"Hello, Michael." Jane smiled at her brother as they helped Jack down the steps. "Explanations can wait until later."

Nodding, Michael helped them tuck Jack into the back of the car. Jane climbed in after him, guiding him to rest his head in her lap. Bert climbed into the passenger seat while Michael slid behind the wheel. As he drove to Cherry Tree Lane, Jane held Jack steady, gently combing her fingers through his beautiful black hair. Michael and Bert talked quietly during the short drive to 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Jane could see all three children pressing against the front windows so they’d see the car the moment it turned onto the lane. By the time Michael pulled to a stop at the curb, the children had spilled onto the front porch. John and Annabel both had firm hold of Georgie. "They can't possibly be your children, Michael. They're too old."

"You've been gone awhile, Uncle Bert" Michael told him quietly, turning the car off. "I don't think Georgie even remembers you."

Michael and Bert climbed out of the car and Jane combed her fingers through Jack's hair. "Wake up, Jack."

"Nnn." He curled closer to Jane, his eyes firmly closed.

Smiling fondly, she shook him firmly. "The children are worried about you, Jack."

"'Mfine," he mumbled, even as he propped himself up, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He smiled when he saw Jane. "'Lo."

Giggling a little, Jane kissed him softly. "Hello. Come on, let's get you inside."

It took all of them, but they eventually got Jack out of the car. "Uncle Jack!"

"Carefully, Georgie," Michael warned his youngest as the children hurried down the steps.

Duly warned, the three children hugged Jack, careful of his injured wing. "Does it hurt a lot, Uncle Jack?"

"Not much," Jack assured Georgie as they headed inside.

Nodding, Georgie turned to Bert. "Are you a nanny?"

*

Jane wasn't the only one who giggled at Georgie's question for Bert. Michael composed himself first as they helped Jack up the steps and into the house. "No, this is Uncle Bert. Aunt Jane and I have known him since we were your age."

"He basically raised me," Jack added, wincing when his injured wing bumped the door frame. "And introduced me to Mary Poppins."

Georgie stared up at Bert with shining eyes. "Really? You know Mary Poppins, too?!"

"Yes, I understand she came back," Bert nodded, looking amused, and yet sad. "Mary and I have known each other for a long time."

With some encouragement from Michael, they sat down in the parlor and Ellen bustled in with tea for everyone. While she was busy with that, Georgie eagerly asked, "Are you a leerie like Uncle Jack, then?'

"Well, I _did_ teach Jack to tend to the lamps and such, but mostly I was a chimney sweep." Bert stifled a cough, and then took a sip of his tea.

From her seat beside Bert, Annabel quietly asked, "Do you know about Mother, Grandpa Bert?"

"Your father told me." Bert wrapped his arm and wing around Annabel, squeezing gently. "I'm very sorry for your loss. She was a good woman."

Jack felt Jane move and looked over to see that she'd stretched out one of her wings to Michael, who touched one of his to it in return. Clearing his throat, Michael told Bert, "Mary Poppins helped us start healing from the loss."

"You have my condolences," Bert told them seriously, looking at each of them in turn. "Belated though they are."

Annabel hugged Bert tightly. Georgie hopped to his feet from his place on the floor and hugged Bert as well. "We got to meet Mary's cousin, Topsy."

"Topsy Turvey, Georgie," Jack couldn't resist correcting, smiling as he remembered that visit. They'd had lots of fun, helping Topsy look at things in a new light, her green macaw's wings a bright splash of color amidst her cluttered home.

Bert nodded thoughtfully, smiling when John sat down beside him and wrapping his other wing around him. "Too bad you never got to meet Uncle Albert. Everything was funny to him."

"We had a tea party on the ceiling," Michael interjected, glancing over at his sister. "Remember that one, Jane?"

She giggled, nodding. "Yes. The poor man couldn't fly, but he did love to laugh."

"What does laughing have to do with not flying?" John asked, peering at his aunt curiously.

Jane couldn't stop giggling and Michael wasn't much better off. Jack smiled, picturing the man in question. "I met Uncle Albert m'self. He had kiwi wings, so he couldn't fly. However, if he happened to laugh hard enough, he'd start to float."

"Wooden leg name Smith," Bert offered, before bursting into laughter.

Michael and Jane both laughed along with Bert. The children stared at the three adults as if they'd lost their minds. Jack grinned, reminded of something. "Is that the joke Mr. Dawes started to tell?"

"Yes." Jane gasped out, trying to compose herself. "Father apparently told it to the board of directors and it made Mr. Dawes's father laugh so hard that he died."

That sobered all of them up. Glancing around at the serious faces, Jack suggested, "Perhaps we should talk about something else?"

"I don't suppose you jumped into any chalk drawin's?" Bert asked, winking at Jane and Michael before looking down at the children curiously.

They shook their heads, but Georgie piped up, "No, but we did go into Mother's bowl!"

"And visited the Royal Doulton Music Hall," Annabel added, half-singing the words.

John nodded eagerly. "She and Uncle Jack sang a song about looking beyond the cover of a book. There's more to books, and people, than what their exterior shows."

"That was fun," Jack added, stifling a yawn. "I was just asleep, why am I tired again?"

Jane helped him stand up. "Your body is healing, Jack. That takes a lot of energy."

"I made up the guest room for you, Mr. Jack," Ellen told him as he and Jane made their way to the entry and up the stairs.

By the time they made it to the bedroom, Jack was practically asleep on his feet again. "I'm sorry to be so much bother, Jane."

"You're not a bother, Jack," Jane told him, helping him out of his clothes until he just wore his shirt and trousers. "We only wish we could do more for you."

He sighed as he stretched out on the bed, his injured wing propped on the bed behind him. He brought his good wing over in front of him to keep him warm. "Thank you, Jane." He sighed deeply when he felt her brush a kiss across his forehead, and then his cheek. "Love you."

*

Jane stared down at Jack, fast asleep before her. _Did he **really** just say that? I didn't imagine it?_ Shaking her head at herself, she brushed a light kiss across his lips, whispering, "I love you, too."

Straightening up, she tiptoed out of the room and closed the door behind her. When she turned, she nearly jumped out of her skin because Bert waited at the end of the corridor, looking unusually serious. "Jane."

"Uncle Bert." She smiled as she approached him, not sure what to make of his expression. "Jack's asleep now."

He nodded, his expression softening as he looked towards the door she'd just closed. "Can we talk? In private?"

"Of course. The roof should be private enough." Jane led him up to the attic, and then to the roof. She led Bert over to the ledge where she and Michael learned to fly. "Is something wrong?"

Folding his long legs underneath him, Bert sat beside Jane. "Jack's liked you most of his life, Jane. I warned him about that. Your father was a banker and now Michael is. In many ways, you two are worlds apart."

"I know, Bert, and I don't care," Jane told him firmly. "I watched Mother give up part of herself to avoid angering Father." She looked up at the sky, watching the bright blue slowly darken. "She was so _happy_ when she talked about the things she did as a suffragette. The moment Father came home, though, that happiness and enthusiasm disappeared. She became a proper, obedient wife. That may have been enough for her, but I refuse to give up part of who I am for the sake of a husband."

After a short silence, Bert asked, "There are men who would ask that of their wives?"

"Every man who's courted me has made it clear that they expect a quiet, obedient wife with no interest in working or campaigning for people like you and Jack." Jane drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms and wings around them. "They didn't like how close Michael and I are, either. The last one broke up with me because Kate fell ill and Michael needed my help to manage her and the children."

After a moment, she felt Bert wrap his arm and wing around her, just like he had Annabel in the parlor. "I am sorry, Jane."

"It's like John said: the cover is not the book," Jane whispered, leaning into Bert's side gladly. For a moment, it felt like she was a little girl again, her father's arm and wing keeping her safe. "They may be gentlemen by birth, but they don't _act_ like gentlemen. Jack, on the other hand, may have been born without a penny to his name, but he has always been a perfect gentleman."

Bert sounded proud. "I taught him to be a gentleman to everyone he meets. I'm glad he remembered that along with everything else."

"He makes me happy, Uncle Bert," Jane confided softly. "I don't want to lose him."

He squeezed her gently. "Well, we'll just have to make sure you don't, won't we?"

"Thank you."

*

Jack woke up because his injured wing ached horribly. _Whatever they gave me for pain must have worn off._ He froze in place the next moment when he realized he wasn't alone in the bed. Slowly opening his eyes, he stared down at Jane, asleep in his arms. This wasn't the first time it'd happened, but that had always been on the sofa in Jane's flat. Never in a proper bed like this. They'd become quite entangled, his good wing draped over both of them and one of Jane's atop his. Her other wing lay across the bed behind her, falling over the edge of the bed and likely dragging on the floor. Though he didn't want to disturb her, he couldn't resist cupping her cheek. She made a noise in the back of her throat akin to a dove's coo, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks. Finally, she looked at him with sleepy green eyes. "'Lo."

"Hello, Jane." He lightly brushed his thumb across her cheekbone. "You're a lovely sight to wake up to."

She giggled, shifting so she could kiss him softly. "You say that every morning."

"It's true every time." He smiled, kissing her back.

Before they could continue in this vein, someone knocked on the door and Ellen called, "Miss Jane, Mr. Jack, breakfast is almost ready. If you want to eat anything, you need to get up now."

"We'll be right there, Ellen," Jane called back, peering over her wing at the door. When she looked back at Jack, something on his face made her frown at him. "What?"

After a moment, he found his voice and asked, "Everyone knows?"

"Of course." Jane nodded, looking quite puzzled now. "It's not as if you're in any shape for anything to happen between us except sleeping properly."

Slowly, Jack nodded as well. That was true. He barely remembered Jane helping him to bed last night. He wondered if he'd dreamt telling her that he loved her. "Yeah. I guess I'm more protective of your reputation than I thought."

"Jack, if I cared about my bloody reputation, I wouldn't be volunteering for SPRUCE or even wearing trousers." Jane cupped his face between her hands, green eyes intent. "I'd have married Reggie or any of the other men who courted me."

He stared at her, eyes wide with wonder. She'd never reacted to his efforts to preserve her reputation, such as it was, quite like this before. Softly, he told her, "You deserve the world, Jane, and I can't give you even a sliver of that."

"I have my whole world right here between my hands, Jack," Jane told him firmly, brushing her lips across his.

Jack stared at her all over again, hardly realizing that tears had spilled from his eyes. He'd never been anyone's entire world before. Even the people he'd been with in the past had had their own worries and priorities that had taken precedence over Jack. It'd never bothered him, but now here was Jane, who'd clearly just spent the past day or so making sure Jack saw a doctor and rested like he was supposed to. Smiling tenderly, Jane leaned in to kiss his tears away. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her into a proper kiss, unable to express his happiness and joy any other way. Moaning, Jane pressed closer to him and he was suddenly acutely aware of how little they were wearing. Reluctantly, he eased back from the kiss, though he kept his forehead pressed against hers as he caught his breath. "I love you, Jane."

"I love you, too, Jack," she replied, giggling a little.

He sighed softly. "Let me guess: I said as much yesterday, when you put me to bed?"

"Well, yes." She smiled, kissing him again, light and swift.

Any answer he might have made was interrupted by a gurgle from his stomach. "Perhaps we should save any further discussion for after I've had a chance to eat?"

"Of course, where are my manners." They carefully disentangled themselves and Jane stood up, looking even more like an angel with her wings half-furled behind her and her golden hair forming a halo around her head.

Shaking off that fancy, Jack let Jane help him up from the bed. She turned away for a moment, towards the vanity. When she turned back, she was holding a stack of familiar clothes. "Are those my-- How did you get them?"

"Angus brought them," Jane told him as he took the clothes in his hands. She pointed behind him. "The lavatory is over there. Don't hesitate to call if you need help."

Nodding, he carefully made his way to the loo, firmly closing the door behind him. After he'd taken care of urgent business, he turned his attention to getting dressed. His pants and trousers were easy enough, but his immobilized wing proved to be more difficult to work around than he'd expected. Stifling a sigh, he tapped on the door. "Jane?"

"Yes, Jack?" Her answer came promptly, as if she'd been waiting patiently.

He opened the door and peered out. She'd taken the opportunity to get dressed as well, a brush in her hand. "I'm havin' a bit o' trouble with my shirt."

"Come on out here and I'll help," she told him, setting the brush on the vanity.

Feeling rather self-conscious about his bare chest, Jack nevertheless moved into the room proper and held out the shirt and weskit Angus had brought. "Since I can't move my wing, it makes it harder for me to put things on."

"I understand." Jane seemed completely unaware of his bare chest, taking his clothes to help him into them, ensuring they were buttoned properly in the back while he tended to the front buttons.

Just as she moved to the vanity to continue brushing her hair, there came another knock on the door. This time, the voice that called through it wasn't Ellen's. "Jane, Jack, are you comin' to breakfast or not? We're gettin' rather hungry."

"Bert?" Jack breathed, crossing to open the door. He smiled when he saw his mentor waiting on the other side, a grin on his face. "When did you get here?"

The former sweep raised his eyebrows at Jack. "You don't remember seein' me yesterday? Are you _sure_ you didn't hit your head?"

"I was rather out of it," Jack admitted, vaguely remembering hearing Bert's voice now that he'd mentioned it. The next moment, he stepped forward and hugged Bert tight. "It's good to see you."

After a moment of surprise, Bert hugged Jack back, his slightly-too-short wings wrapping around him as far as they'd go. "It's good to see you, too, Jack."

"Shall we go down to breakfast?" Jane asked, joining them at the door. "I know Jack's hungry and I am, too. Not sure about you, Uncle Bert."

He grinned at her. "I'm ready for breakfast, too."

That decided, they headed downstairs together.

*

Jane reluctantly left for work after breakfast. She couldn't afford to skip too many days, even for Jack. After a last kiss good-bye, she headed off. Once she arrived, she them about what had happened to Jack. Since they were campaigning for workers' rights along with Jane, they were quite sympathetic and understanding. Phoebe, their leader, asked, "Are you sure you need to be here? Shouldn't you be with Jack?"

"I offered to stay, but Jack urged me to come." Jane smiled fondly as she remembered that discussion. "He knows how important our work is and he's always supported it."

Most of them looked surprised, not that Jane blamed them. They'd lost many volunteers to the lure of matrimony. Eleanor took Jane's hand and squeezed it firmly. "Don't give him up, Jane. He's better than most men out there, regardless of his class."

"Oh, I'm well aware." Jane giggled, pleased that her friends understood how special Jack was, not just to Jane, but overall.

They set to work, giving speeches and passing out flyers. As the day wore on, Angus arrived at the rally. Jane smiled and waved to him. He waved back, smiling as well. "Hello, Miss Jane."

"Angus, how are things?" Jane asked, handing him a flyer so it would look like she was doing her job.

He took the flyer and tucked it into the basket of his bicycle, under the bundle already there. "They're fine. Bert actually insisted on taking over Jack's leerie route for the next week or so."

"They were arguing about that when I left this morning." Jane giggled, not surprised that Bert had won that argument. "Jack was still pretty tired."

Angus nodded and patted the bundle in his basket. "I have more of Jack's clothes here. Mr. Banks insisted."

"Of course he did." Jane smiled, touched that her family cared for Jack as much as she did. "The children adore him, so he can help keep an eye on them."

Chuckling, Angus tipped his hat to Jane. "That they do. I'll see you around, Miss Jane."

"Take care, Angus," she told him, watching as he rode off with a wave of his hand.

When the rally finished, Jane started towards Cherry Tree Lane with her leftover signs, eager to see her family again, especially Jack. They hadn't been far from her thoughts all day. She stiffened when a familiar figure rode up on a bicycle. "Good evening, Miss Banks."

"Mr. Atwood," Jane answered stiffly, continuing on without stopping.

He kept pace with her, slowly cycling along. "Would you like a ride?"

"Not from you," she retorted, refusing to look at him.

Reginald used his most charming and enticing tone of voice, "Please, Miss Banks? I couldn't stand it if you got hurt because I didn't give you a ride home."

" _No_ , Mr. Atwood." She finally stopped and turned to him. "You're doing this to try to get back in my good graces. I can tell you now that that will _never_ happen. You dropped me like a hot potato when I refused to give up my work or my family."

He offered his most winning smile. "I assure you, I'm a changed man."

"I wish that were true," Jane answered quietly. The police had contacted her the day before to explain that any investigation would be dropped. It was clearly an accident and there was no need to pursue it further. Jane had no doubt that Reginald had used his family's wealth and prestige to arrange that. In the meantime, Jack would be flightless for at least a month. "Unfortunately, I know it's not and no amount of flattery or wheedling will convince me otherwise, Mr. Atwood."

Before Reginald could formulate a response, another bicycle, this one older and more beat-up, pulled up alongside the curb. Bert grinned at her. "Evenin', Jane. Ready to go home?"

"Yes, thank you, Uncle Bert." Jane handed the signs to Bert, who fastened them to back of the bicycle, his ladder already positioned horizontally across the back tire.

Reginald grabbed rear tire of Bert's bicycle. "Jane--"

"We are _done_ , Reginald," she told him firmly, positioning herself sidesaddle in front of Bert.

Bert finished securing the signs and glared at Reginald. "The lady said no, Mr. Atwood. I advise you to listen to her."

"Who are _you_ to give me advice?" Reginald sneered at Bert.

Jane glared at Reginald over Bert's wing as he reached around her for the handlebars. "Leave me alone, Mr. Atwood."

With that, Bert pulled his bicycle out of Reginald's grasp and they took off for Cherry Tree Lane. Bert, despite his age, easily maintained their balance as they wove in and out of traffic. "Has he always been like that?"

"He can be charming if he chooses to," Jane told him quietly. "I'm surprised he's so focused on me now."

Pausing at a crossing, Bert took a moment to squeeze Jane's hand. "Maybe you're not the only woman who's seen through him."

"Maybe." Jane subsided the next moment, eager to see Jack again.

When they reached the house, they found Jack and the children waiting on the front stoop. "Aunt Jane! Grandpa Bert!"

"Hello, everyone." Jane hopped off the bicycle and gladly accepted the children's hugs, wrapping her wings around each of them briefly. While they moved on to greet Bert with hugs, too, Jane climbed the steps to join Jack. "Hello, Jack."

He smiled warmly, cupping her cheek with one hand. "I missed you, Jane."

"Missed you, too." She stepped close and kissed him softly.

Jack responded with a soft sigh of pleasure. The next moment, Bert interrupted them, "Perhaps we should go inside and see how soon dinner will be ready."

"Good idea." Jane took Jack's hand and went inside, eager to spend time with her family.

*

While Jack enjoyed the chance to simply relax with no demands on his time except spending time with the Banks family, he was more than ready to go back to work at the end of the week. Both Jane and Bert came by almost every day to visit. Bert seemed determined to tell every embarrassing story about Jack that he knew. At least Jack managed to keep him from sharing the _really_ embarrassing ones. Although, a little embarrassment was worth hearing and seeing Jane giggle until she ran out of breath. At the end of the week, Jack moved back into his flat. Angus and Charlie were glad to see him back and had even put some effort into making the small space easier for Jack to navigate with his immobilized wing. He stared at the extra bed in his room with some amusement. Glancing back over his wing, he asked, "Bert?"

"He insisted," Angus told him, holding up his hands in mock-surrender.

Jack nodded and stretched out on his bed with a sigh of relief. It felt good to be home again. The Bankses had made every effort to make Jack feel comfortable with them, but he'd always felt like an intruder. He just didn't _belong_ there. Not the way he did here. He didn't laze about for long, but soon got up to finish settling back in and do his share of the chores. "You do know that you're supposed to take things easy still, right, Jack?"

"I do, Bert, but I don't like not doing anything," Jack told his mentor, sitting cross-legged on his bed as he gently ran his fingers through the feathers on his good wing. He'd already found a few loose feathers and carefully set them aside. He looked at Bert. "Could you help me with my other wing? I'm sure it has some loose feathers, but I can't reach it right now."

He felt the mattress dip under Bert's weight when he sat down behind Jack. "Of course. I'm surprised you haven't asked anyone before now."

"It didn't feel right to impose on the Bankses anymore than I already have." Jack finished with his wing and released it to furl against his back while Bert continued to work.

Bert sighed, long fingers neatening Jack's feathers and finding any loose ones. "They don't see it as an imposition, Jack. You're family to them."

"Mostly because of Jane," he replied, drawing his knees to his chest and wrapping his wing around them.

Another sigh, more frustrated this time. "You're family because of _you_ , Jack. Even if you and Jane were just friends, that family would love you anyway."

"You're the one who told me Jane was too good for me." He peered over his wing at Bert.

He at least had the grace to look sheepish and ashamed. "It was wrong of me to say that."

"Why did you say it?" Jack asked, gently tugging his wing free so he could turn and face his oldest friend.

Bert sighed and dropped his hands into his lap. "Most girls like her wouldn't look twice at blokes like us. I should have realized Jane would be different."

"She's like no other woman in the world, Bert," Jack told him earnestly, flicking his wing at the thought that Jane would be selfish and thoughtless so many other women of her class.

Chuckling, Bert nodded his agreement. "I quite agree and that's why I want you to forget what I told you about Jane bein' too good for you. The only person who can decide that is Jane herself and she clearly thinks you're good enough for her."

"I can't imagine why." Jack drew in on himself once again.

Bert gripped Jack's arm firmly, his expression intent and serious for once. "You don't _need_ to understand, Jack. Just accept that she thinks you're worth more than Reginald Atwood."

"Ugh, that man is an _ass_." Normally, Jack would have used leerie speak, but it didn't do justice to his sheer loathing for the man in question.

Nodding his agreement, Bert released Jack's arm. "Just remind yourself that Jane chose you over him and she always will."

"How do you know?" Jack frowned at Bert.

Bert raised his eyebrows and arched his wings behind his back. "I've seen her tell him they're finished more than once. She wants nothing to do with him, but you're the one she worries about and fusses over."

"I-- she didn't mention that." He frowned again, surprised that he wasn't hurt by the fact.

That surprised Bert. "She didn't? I-- perhaps I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, I'm glad you did." Jack gripped Bert's arm firmly. "I know you wouldn't lie about something like that, so it reassures me to know that she _has_ picked me over Mr. Atwood."

Reluctantly, Bert nodded. "If you still have doubts, just ask Jane."

"I just might. For now, why don't I get your wings for you?" Jack grinned at Bert. "They must be in quite the state."

Smiling back, Bert turned his back to Jack. He tutted when he saw the ruffled and loosened feathers. "Thanks, Jack."

"Of course, Bert."

*

Jane had rather liked having Jack stay with Michael and the children. She didn't have to choose between spending time with her family or with Jack. Now that he'd moved back home, though, she had to decide again. Today, she decided to give him his space and go to Cherry Tree Lane to spend time with her family. Since she had no signs or flyers to carry, she decided to fly to Michael's house for once. When she arrived, Michael and the children were happy to see her. After the children had hugged her tight, wings wrapping as far around her as they'd go, Michael shooed them off to play in the nursery and asked Jane, "Have you seen Jack today?"

"No, I flew straight here. I thought I'd give him some space," Jane told him, feeling her wings tense behind her at his question. "Why do you ask?"

Michael held up his hands, his voice soothing. "I just thought I'd ask. It must be strange for you, to not see Jack today after seeing him every day for a week straight."

"A little, but we're both adults." She followed Michael to the parlor and stopped short when she saw who waited there. "Jack!"

He laughed when she practically pounced on him, hugging him tight with both her arms and her wings. "Hello, Jane. I've missed you, too."

"I thought the plan was for you to spend time at home with Bert and the leeries." Jane reluctantly moved back and sat down on the couch with him. She vaguely noticed that Michael had left, giving them some privacy.

Jack nodded, holding her hand in both of his. "It was, but we spent so much time together this past week that I couldn't stay away."

"I would happily spend every minute of every day with you, Jack," she told him, quiet and sincere as she met his warm brown eyes.

He stared down at her, those brown eyes wide with surprise. "Miss Jane Banks, that sounds almost like a proposal to me."

"Well--" She shifted to kneel on the floor in front of Jack, her wings folded back, "Jack, recent events have made it quite clear to me that the only man I want to share my life with is you. I love you and would like you to marry me."

Jack continued to stare at Jane for several moments. Just when she began to worry, she saw a tear trickle down his cheek. With that, he slid off the couch to kneel in front of her and hug her tight. "Yes, Jane. I love you and I'll gladly marry you."

Jane smiled her relief when she felt Jack wrap his good wing around her. She hadn't intended to propose, but Jack had made a good point. "I know it's not done for women--"

"Jane, I like you _exactly_ the way you are." Jack pulled back enough to smile at her. Then it turned sheepish. "Though, I _have_ been saving up money for a ring. It won't be fancy."

She scoffed, cupping his cheek with one hand. "If I'd wanted fancy, I'd have married Reggie or someone just like him years ago."

"Why me?" He asked, covering her hand with his and turning his head to kiss her palm. "You're a wonderful, beautiful woman. Any man would be lucky to marry you."

Jane cupped his other cheek and pressed their foreheads together. "You're the only man who accepts me the way I am and thinks of me before himself. It's surprisingly rare."

"I just want you to be happy." Jack shrugged, wincing a little when it tugged as his injured wing.

She smiled and kissed him, sweet and soft. "And I want _you_ to be happy."

"Thank goodness the best way to ensure we're both happy is to marry each other." He grinned, finally bringing his hands up to cradle her face between them. "I've always had feelings for you, Jane, though I would hesitate to call my boyhood crush love."

Jane giggled. "I never forgot you, Jack. The memory of your smile stayed with me long after we last saw each other. Until we bumped into each other again."

"I suspect that Mary Poppins had something to do with that." Jack confided quietly.

She giggled again. "I think you're right. I wish there was some way to invite her to our wedding."

"She just might surprise us." He winked, his familiar smile lighting up his face.

Giggling a third time, Jane drew him into another kiss, warmer and hungrier. Jack responded with a moan, his hands sliding down to wrap around her waist. Before they could get carried away, Michael and the children disturbed them. They gladly shared their news and celebrated with their family before Jack left for his route. Jane settled in to spend time with her niece and nephews while she waited for Jack to return and continue the celebration. _I thought I'd never marry, but that goes to show that life can still surprise you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want a visual for what Reggie looks like, picture Jude Law as Bosie from the movie Wilde.


End file.
